Is there any thing better to use than the stock timing cover on a 5.7 Vortec? I would have thought after all these years GM would have come up with a cover that did not require the removal of the oil pan.

Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:03 am

Boosted-Z71

Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 1555

There are after market 2 piece covers, not sure I have seen one with the hole for the crank position sensor though, Summit & Jegs has the 2 piece covers

Boosted

Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:20 am

Lextech

Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 959
Location: Oak Forest Illinois,U.S.A.

(I THINK) EFIConnection has a Billet timing cover for our trucks. It is not a 2 piece though.

Can I re-use the timing cover. For some reason it says to replace. I'm not replacing it if I don't need to, unless I could get a two-piece replacement.

Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:40 am

Lextech

Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 959
Location: Oak Forest Illinois,U.S.A.

Just clean it good and put a bead of silicone on the sealing surfaces and you will be fine.

Jeff

Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:26 pm

Boosted-Z71

Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 1555

Yes they can be re-used, I have done 3 or 4 personally for myself, and many others for customers. Like Lextech said clean them well & look at the silicone bead on the cover to be sure it is not torn loose anywhere & apply sealer on the corners near the pan & you should be fine. Just dont over torque the cover bolts as they can crack.

What we need is for S10Wildside, who seems to be deeply involved developing new stuff for Vortecs, to come up with a new timing cover for those still running that old tech. A metal Vortec timing cover with the crank positioning sensor and a provision for a roller bearing race, AND setting it up to run on both a Vortec and an original Gen 1 block, would be ideal... That would free up more blocks for use with Vortec management systems.

Tue Feb 16, 2010 4:59 am

S10Wildside

Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 172

This is all that EFI Connection has to offer. Fits both Vortec and early SBC, but has no roller bearing race. These are $310.00 each.

That's a hella nice cover but still one piece and way out of my budget right now. Sometime between now and Monday I will have the short block pulled to lower the pan, take off the timing cover, and swap cams. Should have me head back by then. I need to get some head gaskets and head bolts on the way.

I don't know if I really need to with less than 50k miles on this motor but I was looking at replacing the timing set. I see the Cloyes Street True Roller #9-1157 for $55 and also the Cloyes Original True Roller # 9-3157 for $107. Dont factory timing sets go for way over 150k miles? If I get a new set do I really need the Original True Roller or will a Street Roller last me forever?

Also, I see new OEM GM timing covers on ebay for under $40 includes bolts. Does that sound like a good way to go? I really don't want to have a leak.

I'd go ahead and replace the timing set. No reason to start off with 50K miles on a part that's relatively cheap, capable of doing tons of damage on failure, and has to be pulled off anyway to do the other work you plan. Since the oil pan seal has to be broken to remove it, may as well pull the pan off and do the oil pump too.

Good point. For a the mild build up I'm doing would I really need the more expensive timing set though. The mild cam and spring upgrade is not that drastic it doesn't seem. I don't mind spending the extra dough if really needed. Last time I built a motor I didn't have this many choices. LOL.

CrazyHoe wrote:

I got the true roller original. I don't think the 9-1157 is full roller.

What made you go with the Original Roller? Why not the Street Roller? According to all I can find, the Street Roller is a roller. I cant find anything that says why I should use the more expensive set. I'm trying to see what criteria should be considered in order to see if I should spend $55 or $107. That's a chunk of change.